As the largest provider of mental health services, covering the whole of Birmingham and Solihull, BSMHFT has been keen to play its part in welcoming the refugees and ensuring that its services are able to meet any specific mental health needs.
We are working with families brought to Birmingham via the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (SVPR). This is a United Nations and UK government sponsored programme.
Our aim is to provide mental health support to a community which has experienced and witnessed trauma, violence and the effects of war at first hand, as well as displacement from their homes. We are also supporting partner agencies that are helping refugees to make this transition less stressful and as smooth as possible. As part of this we are offering a range of free courses for our staff, partner agencies and Syrian refugees. The core objectives for BSMHFT within this scheme are:
- Develop mental health resilience and strengthen capacity of 200 refugees
- Develop capacity of 90 practitioners across sectors working with Syrian refugees to better understand and address their needs
- Develop a therapeutic model for practitioners to work with Syrian refugees
For further information please contact salma.yaqoob@nhs.net or fuensanta.carnerero-marin@nhs.net.
